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Work-Based Learning (WBL) has increasingly become an area of interest for the higher education sector. It can be defined as an approach to education where learning towards accredited qualifications is relevant to and draws on the student´s workplace role and situation. This education can take place via a range of delivery methods. For this study, this definition has been further narrowed down to concentrate on WBL that is delivered by the university to those in the workplace and results in accredited higher education qualifications, where the learning contract is rooted in the discipline and draws on the student´s workplace role and situation. Northumbria University is considered as one of the leaders in the UK for its delivery of WBL programmes by all faculties across a number of different disciplines encompassing a wide range of delivery formats including face-to-face, correspondence distance and online delivery. The original contribution to knowledge and the significance of this study mainly can be seen inter alia in consideration of the range of key stakeholder groups: student, employer, academic and professional body, and their contribution to the effectiveness of WBL.

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Dr. Lalith Liyanage is Head of IT at LLTL under Ministry of Defense in Srilanka. He has a PhD from Northumbria University/UK, an MBA in e-Governance from University of Moratuwa/Sri Lanka, an MSc in Computer Studies from University of Essex/UK, a PG Diploma in Maint. Engineering & Mgt. from IIPM/India, an MSc & a BSc in Elect. Engineering from USSR.

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